DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Two cops were martyred and as many injured on Monday in what police suspect was an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district.

Sources in police told Dawn it appeared that an IED was used to target an armoured personnel carrier (APC) of the police in the incident that took place on Tank-Jandola Road.

They said initial reports suggested that the IED was planted along the roadside and was detonated while the APC was on routine patrol in the limits of Shaheed Mureed Akbar Police Station.

Consequently, Assistant Sub-Inspector Fareedullah and Constable Akhtar Zaman were martyred while Constables Abdul Malik and Qudratullah sustained injuries, the sources said. They added that the injured were taken to the district headquarters hospital.

The sources said security forces and police had cordoned off the site of the incident. Police had also launched a search operation, and evidence from the scene was also being collected, the sources said, adding that an investigation had been initiated to ascertain the circumstances of the incident and trace the perpetrators.

Following the incident, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi sought a report from the relevant authorities, a statement issued by his office said.

He paid tribute to the martyred policemen, saying that they were a source of pride for the nation for their sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.

The governor expressed condolences over their demise and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families.

“Such attacks will not weaken the nation’s resolve [in the fight] against terrorism,” the statement quoted him as saying.

It added that Kundi also directed the relevant authorities to ensure the provision of the best possible medical facilities to the injured police personnel and prayed for their speedy recovery.

The governor also called for a thorough investigation into the incident and stressed that those responsible should be brought to justice, the statement said.

A statement issued by the Presidency said President Asif Ali Zardari also condemned the incident and paid tribute to the martyred policemen.

He, too, expressed sorrow over their demise and prayed for the bereaved families, the statement said.

It quoted the president as saying: “Police and other brave law enforcement personnel are making unforgettable sacrifices for peace in the country. The entire nation salutes them.”

He expressed the resolve that the “nefarious designs of terrorists operating under foreign patronage will be foiled”.

Police personnel have been targeted in Tank in recent months as KP continues to face terrorism.

Last week, a constable of the Elite Force was martyred by unidentified armed men in broad daylight in the main bazaar of the Tank district. According to police, the assailants opened fire on Constable Ziaullah Bhittani near Sahib Jan Serai close to the Durand Gate police post and fled the scene.

On June 20, a policeman suffered injuries after unidentified attackers hurled a grenade at a police checkpost near a shrine in Tank. Police officials said the grenade exploded on the premises of the checkpost, injuring a constable, Fidaullah.

In another incident, Head Constable Jan Alam of the Tank police embraced martyrdom on May 10 after unidentified assailants opened fire on him.

Similarly, another head constable was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the main bazaar area of the Tank city in March. According to police officials, Head Constable Uzair Khan was sitting at a shop in the Gali Dak Khana area when armed men opened fire on him.

According to a monthly security assessment released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), after two consecutive months of improvement, Pakistan’s security situation deteriorated sharply in May, driven primarily by escalating terrorist violence in KP and Balochistan.